by Marti HessOne balmy October my husband and I were driving from San Francisco airport to Napa Valley for an annual conference. The transition between freeways is a bit confusing and we made a turn too soon. We were headed the wrong direction and had to cross the Bay Bridge before we could find a place to turn around and get back on the road to our destination. Kind of like life, isn’t it? You’ve most likely experienced this—thinking you’re headed in one direction when life intervened, sending you into u-turns and down side streets. When this happens, how do you react? Do you get angry, frustrated, discouraged, stressed? Or are you flexible and able to go with the flow? This is a great reminder for me. I’ve learned that when I’ve formulated a vision for the future, however big or small it may be, it takes two seemingly opposing tactics to reach it: focus and flexibility. Focusing on my vision often is key. It doesn’t take much time, just a few moments. I find a quiet spot, close my eyes and use all my senses to envision my dream. I ask myself, “How do I want to BE, what do I want to feel, what’s important to me?” It’s not all about what I’m DOING in my vision, but how I want to BE in that future time. I invite you to take the time to envision your dream. Practice focusing on the vision while you engage all your senses. Then create one first step toward your vision, and allow the journey to begin. Let go of trying to control each step of the way because it will lead to frustration and stress, anger and discouragement. Instead keep your FOCUS on your vision, and then allow FLEXIBILITY and flow to show you how to get there. Most of all enjoy the ride! You’ll learn more about yourself, the wonders of the world, and the infinite possibilities if you are flexibly focused along the way. When we made the ‘wrong’ turn on our way to Napa, we came upon this beautiful scene. Sun on San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. It was wondrous, shimmery and beautiful, and we would have missed it if we had not taken the ‘wrong’ turn.